


It's Cold Outside

by Burgie



Series: Christmas Challenge 2015 [1]
Category: Star Stable
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 15:56:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7112491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Lisa's flight is cancelled, Anne offers her a place to stay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Cold Outside

Lisa shivered as she looked out of the airport window at the snow. It looked bad, and apparently it was only going to get worse. She glanced at the screen again, the one that had marked her flight as _Delayed_ for the past few hours. The status had changed in the few moments that she’d been looking out at the snow. No longer delayed, her flight was now _Cancelled_.

“Great,” she muttered, sinking back into her hard plastic seat. She couldn’t afford a hotel, not with her limited funds. And it was Christmas Eve, there were no good hotels still open.

Her mobile phone buzzed in her pocket, and Lisa answered it without looking at the name. It was probably just her dad worrying about her.

“Hi, Lisa,” said Anne.

“Anne?” asked Lisa. “Why are you calling me?”

“I do have a heart,” said Anne. “I saw on the news that a lot of flights were cancelled because of the snowstorm.”

“Aww, you were thinking of me. How sweet,” said Lisa. “How much will it cost me?”

“What? Nothing!” said Anne. “That is, unless you’re offering…”

“I can’t afford a hotel, how the hell could I afford to stay with you?” asked Lisa.

“Look, it’s freezing cold and Christmas Eve. Come to my hotel,” said Anne.

“Are you coming onto me?” asked Lisa.

“No,” said Anne, her exasperation coming through clearly. “This may come as a surprise but not everybody loves you. Now, if it were me, I could completely understand.”

“If you’re going to keep insulting me, I’ll just hang up,” said Lisa.

“No no no fine, I’ll stop,” said Anne. “Just come to the hotel. Please.”

“I’m okay in the airport,” said Lisa. And then the power went out.

“No you’re not,” said Anne. “The power went out here too. A scrawny thing like you won’t last long in the cold.”

“Why are you helping me?” asked Lisa. “You hate me.”

“Look, I know we hate each other but it’s Christmas Eve and your flight was cancelled, please come inside,” said Anne.

“No,” said Lisa, and shivered. “I’m fine.” Her teeth chattered. It was getting cold ridiculously fast in here.

“No you’re not,” said Anne. Lisa heard the sound of car keys through the phone. “I’m coming to get you. Stay there.”

“Okay,” said Lisa. “Thanks.” The call ended and Lisa tucked her phone back into the pocket of her skinny jeans, wishing that she’d worn something warmer.

When Anne finally walked into the airport, Lisa had never been so glad to see her before. She met Anne in the middle of the airport, hugging her tightly. It was more for warmth than anything.

Anne jumped back from her, but not because of who it was.

“You’re freezing! Here, take my coat,” said Anne, and quickly gave her fluffy faux fur coat to Lisa.

“Don’t you need it?” asked Lisa. She put it on anyway though, feeling kind of dwarfed by the size of it.

“My car has a heater in it,” said Anne. “Come on, get your things and let’s go.” 

The two of them walked through the cold airport together and out to the car park. Anne had a very expensive car, gifted to her by her parents no doubt, and Lisa felt even more out of place sitting in it.

“Make yourself comfortable,” said Anne as she drove back out onto the road. “You’re not going to break anything. You’re the most breakable thing in here at the moment.”

“Thank you,” said Lisa. “For feeling sorry for me and giving me a place to stay, I mean.”

“Like I said, I do have a heart,” said Anne. “And… I’m a little lonely too. I’m stuck here just like you are. Away from my family, away from my friends, away from Concorde…”

“It feels awful,” said Lisa. She heard the thickness in her voice but there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

“Oh, this is your first Christmas alone,” said Anne. “Even Dark Core gives your father the day off.”

“Yeah, and I’m not there to spend it with him,” said Lisa. “It sucks.”

“Yes, it does,” said Anne. “But we have each other so we won’t be so lonely this year. And then we can both get the same flight home.”

Anne led the way to her hotel room, and Lisa was glad to find that it was warm and well-lit. Apparently the good hotels could afford good generators.

“Take a seat,” said Anne. “I’ll make you a hot chocolate.”

Lisa suddenly found herself unable to speak, overwhelmed by Anne’s surprising kindness. She just sank into the soft, plush armchair in the hotel’s living room and felt herself begin to properly thaw.

She really didn’t deserve Anne’s kindness. They were more enemies than friends, so this was surely just someone wealthy helping a charity case for Christmas. But she knew that that was wrong. Anne had looked genuinely concerned upon finding out that this was Lisa’s first Christmas without her father.

Thinking about him, Lisa pulled her phone out of her pocket to send him a text but quickly discovered that he’d beat her to it.

 _“Heard your flight was cancelled. You okay?”_ he’d sent to her.

 _“Yeah, I’m okay. Staying with Anne.”_ She sent back.

 _“Okay. Will ring you for Christmas.”_ Lisa felt tears slip down her cheeks. She’d never wanted to see that message. But some things were just out of her hands.

 _“Okay.”_ When the message sent, Lisa put her phone on the glass coffee table in front of the armchair and buried her face in her hands.

Anne laid a gentle hand on Lisa’s back and rubbed between her shoulders.

“Drink this,” said Anne, placing the mug on the coffee table with a clack of ceramic against glass. “It’ll make you feel better.”

“What, no coaster?” asked Lisa, wiping her tears away.

“Friends before standards,” said Anne with a shrug. She sat on the arm of the chair and wrapped an arm around her friend. “I’ll do everything I can to make you feel better about spending the holiday alone, I promise.”

“Thanks,” said Lisa. “Again. For everything. You’re not so bad, rich girl.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, punk girl,” said Anne with a smile.

They sat in the plush hotel room, drinking hot chocolate and making small talk, until power had been restored to the city. Neither of them wanted to sleep, but eventually they did. Despite Anne’s protests, Lisa finally won the battle to sleep on the comfy lounge. She didn’t need a fancy bed- the lounge was perfect. It was more than she could ask for.


End file.
